A SpaceX capsule with four private astronauts aboard, who traveled around the Earth’s poles, successfully landed in the Pacific Ocean near Southern California on Friday.

It was the first human spaceflight to circle the globe above the poles and the first Pacific splashdown for a space crew in 50 years, SpaceX said. 

The “Fram2” mission, funded at an undisclosed cost by Bitcoin investor Chun Wang, launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Monday night in a SpaceX Dragon capsule. The team returned to Earth by approximately 9 a.m. local time on Friday.

“All four @framonauts [Fram2 astronauts] have safely exited Dragon unassisted,” SpaceX posted on X.

The SpaceX Fram2 crew after splashing down on Friday. (SpaceX via X)

During their mission, the crew conducted various experiments, including taking the first X-ray in space, studying exercises to preserve muscle and bone mass, and cultivating mushrooms in the unique environment of microgravity, according to the company.

After the crew exits the Dragon spacecraft, they will not be given additional medical and operational assistance to help researchers characterize the ability of astronauts to perform unassisted functional tasks after short and long durations in space. The Fram2 astronauts spent over eight months training, which included numerous simulations and emergency preparedness, among other activities, according to Fram2.

It was the first human spaceflight for Wang, as well as vehicle commander Jannicke Mikkelsen, vehicle pilot Rabea Rogge, and mission specialist and medical officer Eric Philips.

They named their trip Fram2 after the Norwegian sailing ship that carried explorers to the poles more than a century ago. A bit of the original ship’s wooden deck accompanied the crew to space.

The last people to return from space to the Pacific were the three NASA astronauts assigned to the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission.

This photo provided by SpaceX shows the domed window of the Dragon capsule with a polar region of the Earth in the background on April 1, 2025.  (SpaceX via AP)

SpaceX, which is owned by billionaire Elon Musk, said the decision to splashdown off California was based on safety and practicality factors, the company said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.